Ever feel like you have attention deficit disorder (ADD), where it’s difficult to organize and finish tasks? Have you noticed it’s getting harder to multitask? I’ve mentioned before in previous articles that our brains are not programmed to multitask. Multitasking simply means working on numerous tasks at the same time, leading to poor results on each task! You will get things done better if you focus and finish one task at a time. In today’s society, we have so many things to do – work, school, exercise, community work, social activities, and did I mention work? It’s nearly impossible to get everything organized. We end up cluttering our minds with all the things that need to get done and get overwhelmed. I can give you some organization and planning tips, but the first thing you must do is clear out that mental clutter by doing the following:
1. De-stress on the Commute Home
Your pace and energy is different at the office than at home. Take advantage of your drive home to help you change gears. Turn off excess stimulation by turning off the news putting down your cell phone. A quiet environment will lower your heart rate, and you can focus more on how you want to spend time with your family at home.
2. Learn to Say No
Don’t take on more than you can chew. It’s nice to help out, but sometimes you have to place boundaries to prevent from being under a lot of pressure to keep to your commitments.
3. Use other parts of the brain
Have things going on at home that stimulate other parts of your brain. This means don’t bring work home! You must separate work life from home life. For most of us type-A personalities, doing nothing is not helpful, so you might benefit by doing something fun and stimulating to other parts of our brain, giving our “work brain” a rest.
4. Schedule an appointment with friends
In today’s fast-paced society, the focus tends to be on work, work and work. Make your friends and family a priority. The best way to do that is to officially put them on the calendar. Anything on my calendar gets done. So make an appointment once a week to have lunch or dinner with a friend or loved one. My wife and I try to schedule a weekly date night, away from the kids and away from work. So every time you meet with friends or family, coordinate your schedules on the spot for your next get-together!
Michael Corsilles, ND, PA-C
